Dec 31, 2008

Since it is tradition, I have decided to put up a list of my New Year's "resolutions." These are things that I would like to do, or become; this is also the first year that I've ever done this, so here goes.

*Go on more dates

*Take more risks

*Stand by the things I say more firmly

*Be myself, around everyone

*Read the scriptures more

*Be a good friend

*Eat less sweets!!

*Go to the gym (yeah, I know I probably won't, but it has to be on here right? Isn't that another tradition?)

*Be an excellent employee and supervisor

*Learn to be happy with who I am, instead of searching for it in other people

Dec 25, 2008

I had a white Christmas this year... maybe a little more white than I wanted, but while the win is blowing and the snow is piling up, I get to stay inside and enjoy the holiday.

Here are so Christmas traditions that we have:

Christmas Eve is when we tend to do the "reason for the season" things. We remember Christ's birth, sing songs, read stories and have a wonderful dinner with New England Clam Chowder. Yum! But at the end of the night we get our Christmas jammies! Got to love new jammies!

Christmas, I think, is just like most peoples. We have our stockings, presents under the tree, a great breakfast. My family is here and we watch movies, read books, and just play and enjoy each others company all day. It's great!

What a great season! Lights, and songs, and snow. Now, if only all the snow will go away before I need to go back to school...

Dec 18, 2008

So, for those of you not in college, and that have forgotten (or have never had to experience) about that wonderful thing called FINALS!! YAY!!! I know, exciting. You probably just had chills run up and down your spine. And they probably weren't the good kind.

I have survived! I'm living a life that has seen hardship, and has made it through the wilderness! It was hard, it was life threatening, I lost sleep, I took the tests, and I am still alive! I might be scarred, there might be bruises, but those things heal... it's my brain that I am most worried about. But, as I have seen through experience, even brains solidify eventually.

But, the great thing about getting through finals, is that now it's time for Christmas! I can completely enjoy the season without having to worry about anything, for just a while. I get to watch it snow, listen to Christmas music, and look forward to the big day of fun! Yay for Christmas!

Dec 10, 2008

Hello Everyone! It is time for the end of the year, what-a-great-year-this-has-been-for-me-and-I'm-going-to-brag-about-myself, Christmas letter! :D

This year has been quite a year! After finishing my second year at BYU, I had the awesome opportunity to go to England on a Study Abroad. I spent seven weeks in the mother country and was sad to have to leave it to come back to school. If you would like to read about some of the places I went, check out some of my previous blogs.

After taking a couple of classes and working during the summer, I moved across my complex to an new apartment and started my third/junior year! It's hard to believe that I'm already a junior, and how far I've come. There are times when I feel the exact same I did in high school, and then there are times when I feel like I've gained a world of experience. Halfway through this semester I received a promotion at work! I'm now a supervisor at the Creamery on Ninth. I love this position and am so happy that I received it!

Things that I have learned this year:

If a guy says he's a player, he probably is.

There isn't anything horribly wrong with me.

Take the risk, it will all end up okay.

Life changes very quickly, so take advantage of what you have, and be flexible.

First impressions (good and bad) are usually wrong.

If you want something, you've got to go and get it, even if it is out of your comfort zone.

God not only doesn't test you above what you are able to stand, but he always answers prayers. Always. Even if it is two years later.

A true friend will support you in all your efforts, and sees you for your potential. They will never make you feel less than you are (or can be).

Like in everyone's lives, there have been ups and downs, and hard things to do, but when I think of how far I've come in just the past few months, I'm amazed at the growth I've been through. I'm still imperfect, still flawed, still working hard, still emotional, and there are times when I don't feel like enough, but I've made it through before, and I'll always be able to make it through again.

Dec 7, 2008

This weekend has just been... wonderful. I feel as though God has finally answered a two year prayer! He must have known that I needed to go through trial and when I had done and learned everything I could from it, then he sent the answer.

It all started because my brother dedicated a whole blog post to me. He said amazing a cute things.

Then I rode the bus home with my roomie and she said two things. The first was that she told me of a conversation she had with a guy in our ward that we know. He had asked if I dated a lot and when Cecily answered in the negative he said something to the affect of "That's surprising because she is really cute!" The number two thing was that she told me that I deserved to be friends with people who treat me the way I treat others, and I always treat people well.

I got to spend the day at home, decorating for Christmas. When I was leaving (with the decorating unfinished, unfortunately) my mom said that it always lights up her life when I came home.

At work last night, I received several compliments from some fellow CONErs.

Today was Sunday and it was amazing. It was fast and testimony meeting, and it was so nice to hear others testimonies. In Sunday School I gave a comment, which is very unusual for me. And in Relief Society I had been asked to share about one of my favorite Christmas hymns, and I also bore my testimony (because I'm too chicken to give it in Sacrament). In Relief Society we do these little note things called "Warm Fuzzies" and I got two today! One said "Someone told me that you are really cool yesterday, I wish I knew you better" and the other one told me to "stay beautiful."

The reason I share all these is because of what I've started to notice. When people have a high opinion of you, even if it is an exaggerated opinion, then your opinion of yourself gets higher too. And not only that, but you start to notice all the good things, and become happier. I don't know if this weekend was just especially full of these kind of moments, or if they happen all the time and I just don't realize them, but it was a really good weekend. God has surrounded me with people who not only see who I am, but see who I'm trying to be, and who I can be. They see the potential I have in me and support me in my efforts.

Nov 29, 2008

As everyone knows, this week was Thanksgiving which means that I got to go home! Not that I don't get to go home, I do only live 45 minutes away, but I got to go home. I got to sleep in my own bed, eat food that I didn't have to cook (or buy), and RELAX!

But what was really nice about this holiday was getting away from everything for a little bit. From school, from work, from life... To get back to being my mommy's baby girl. I can't live my life like that, I know that, nor would I want too. I enjoy my independence, and my free will. There are times when I do wish that every decision could be made for me, that my words were scripted, that at the end of the day all the loose ends were tied up and if there wasn't a happy ending, at least there was an ending. The mistakes that I made could be forgotten, by me and by everyone.

Life isn't a book, or a movie. There aren't nice, tidy, packaged endings. As tiring as that may be, it's nice too. I have control over my own life... I don't need to be caught in a tower for years waiting for a "prince" to come, or to return my lost dancing shoe. At least I do have decisions and choices, I'm not stuck living a life someone else decided I should live. When I make mistakes, at least it was because I was trying to live my life--I might regret them, and I might remember them and blush for the rest of my life, but they make me who I am. And it's nice to know that it is my decisions that create me.

It was also nice to NOT have to think about things. Socializing (or the lack of socializing that I do ;) ), boys, school work, grades, bosses, customers, brain meltdown! This weekend has caused my brain to slowly harden into a solid mass again. Thank heavens! Now all I need to do is get through two more weeks of classes, and a week of tests and then there is CHRISTMAS!! And another week at home before working again.

Nov 20, 2008

This is actually a "tagging" thing, but I wanted to post and didn't know what to post about, so I saw this and it looked like fun!

5 things I was doing 10 years ago (I feel young thinking about this...)1. Tap and Ballet2. Hating piano (but that changed!)3. Playing Dorothy in the school production of Wizard of Oz4. Learning U.S. history5. Getting my own room!

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire1. Not worry about how I'm going to get through school...2. start an arts camp for underprivileged kids3. buy a car4. buy a new computer5. do everything on my "things to do before I die" list

6 things you don't know about me1. Everything that I'm "good at" I have had to work really hard to get that way2. I think I would love being a singer and sharing music with the world3. I appreciate every type of music, but that doesn't mean I like it4. I enjoy completely mindless movies, simply for the fact that they are mindless5. I purposely find things to make me cry, because there are times when I just need to let everything out and it's easier to do it about a song, book, or movie, then it is for things that are real6. I absolutely LOVE Disney movies, Disney Channel, and Disney pop

Nov 15, 2008

So, this is an explanation for the previous post about the book "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo. My wonderfully wise mother gave me this book in 2006, during a heartbreaking time in my life. She told me that everyone said to read it with a box of tissues. This turned out to be true.

I read this book once or twice a year, when things start to get hard. I was reading it the other night, and my roommate came in while I was crying (not something odd for me, I'm a genuine crybaby), and asked me what was up. So I proceeded to tell her the story and I couldn't even get through that without choking on my words and bawling. What makes this book so wonderful is that Edward, a little China rabbit, learns how to love, but everyone that he loves is taken away from him. He finally gets to the point where he says that he will never love again, but he comes across a doll who is over one hundred years old. This doll tells him that he shouldn't give up because someone always comes and love is worth it.

The coda is beautifully written, but doesn't quite give the same emotion. The fall after I received this book, Josh Groban's song "Don't Give Up (You are Loved)" came out. It is the same message, and the two will always go together for me. At I time when I was thinking that I would never love, or be loved, again, I was given these reminders that everything will be fine.

And whenever I need a reminder that I shouldn't give up on love (even though Cecily frequently tells me not too) I read this book and I cry my eyes out, and I feel a little more hopeful at the end.

Nov 14, 2008

Once, there was a China rabbit who was loved by a little girl. The rabbit went on an ocean journey and fell overboard and was rescued by a fisherman. He was buried under garbage and unburied by a dog. He traveled for a long time with the hoboes and worked for a short time as a scarecrow.

Once, there was a rabbit who loved a little girl and watched her die.

The rabbit danced on the streets of Memphis. His head was broken open in a diner and was put together again by a doll mender.

And the rabbit swore that he would not make the mistake of loving again.

Once there was a rabbit who danced in a garden in springtime with the daughter of the women who had loved him at the beginning of his journey. The girl swung the rabbit as she danced in circles. Sometimes, they went so fast, the two of them, that it seemed as if they were flying. Sometimes, it seemed as if they both had wings.

Nov 12, 2008

I was trying to think of a way to explain how a relationship (Note: when I use the word relationship I mean it in the sense of any interaction between two or more people, not just in the romantic sense) should be. Everyone says that you should be selfless in a relationship, but this really only works if both people are selfless and fulfill each others needs. So here is the analogy I thought up:

A relationship is like a game of tennis. As long as both people are hitting the ball back a forth to each other, you'll have a good time playing the game. But it gets boring if only one person is hitting the ball and the other one just hoards all of the balls on their court. It's not a game anymore, it's serving practice.

Just like a relationship. It isn't a relationship if one person is doing all the giving, and not receiving anything back. Sometimes the practice can be good for us, but not if we went into it hoping to play a game.

I just want to say that you shouldn't stay on the court, or in a relationship, where you aren't getting anything back. Especially if it's for a long period of time. Don't think that selflessness is so important that you should overlook things that you need. I'm not trying to tell you that selflessness is bad, because it isn't, but if both people in a relationship are being selfless, than you won't feel an emptiness because your needs are being met as much as the other person's. There might be small moments when you will be hitting the ball without getting it back, but there should also be times when you are getting the ball without hitting back.

I came to this realization just a short while ago. You, and I, deserve so much more! We deserve to play the game and even though it might take some time finding a good partner, we don't have to be stuck with a bad one. You can improve yourself without that. Just become the best you can, and keep looking, then the game will be AWESOME!

Nov 11, 2008

I'll post a real blog later, because I've been thinking of one, but until I do, I think that you all should check out this blogpost. One day last year I was researching "single mormon girls" and I came across this blog written by older, single, mormon women. It has some great advice about dating, and how to make the most of your single years. The new post was something so amazing that I would like everyone to check it out!

Just go to singlemormongirl.wordpress.com and read the post entitled The Candy Drawer. It should be the first one on the page.

Enjoy and tell me what you think!

I love you all!

And, PS, while you are online, check out my story at vsfp.ctlbyu.org! It's called French with a Mistress.

Nov 4, 2008

Isn't it amazing how two words can mean so many different things? For example, I am now saying "It's over!" in regards to October, Halloween, and the Presidential race. No more haunted houses, forests, and mazes, no more scary movies, no more fighting over politics. In this case there is a great connotation to the words "it's over."

But "it's over" can carry a heavy weight of feelings. As in: a life is over, a friendship is over, an era is over. When these words are heard, it is as if all the world is carried in them. Sadness, relief, frustration, hurt, love, hate, all these things and more.

But they can also be used in a nonchalant, non caring way. Isn't it mind boggling that two words, in combination with voice, expression and event can have so many different meanings? And it isn't just the two "it's over"-- but many combinations or words, an infinite number of combinations all do the same thing. Even just one word. We were given a spoken language to do with as we would, but the words alone aren't good enough. There needs to be so much more put into words; an action to back them up, or an expression to give them meaning, a touch to show the truth. Language can be corrupted, but if we look past the words, that is where the true meaning lies.

There wasn't really anything prompting this post. I started writing without any purpose, and my brain guided my fingers. I love our language, but even I have started to realize that words can't do everything, and that words are sometimes deceiving. We can't rely on the words that are said as much as what isn't being said.

Oct 28, 2008

I'm an English major. I love reading, and I love writing. Something that I've been trying to do over the last couple of years is to try out new kinds of writing. In high school I wrote poems and pieces of prose, but I think that best way to learn about writing and to become better at it is to try out different types and learn about them. Well, I've been trying my hand at different types of writing, though I haven't been researching them as much as I should... oh well! So some of the things that I have started writing is a screenplay (which I feel so nerdy saying, but it's true), and lyrics. Eventually I would love to learn how to write songs and put the lyrics into them, but at the moment I'm just trying to perfect the words to sound good and mean what I want to. For your own personal judgement I'm including my most recent "song" entitled Mask. There are some lines that need work on, and the last verse I'm not too fond of, but here it is!

Mask

Verse 1

I wish you would see

that this girl you think you know

isn't the real me

I was putting on a show

I was playing a part,

wearing a mask,

hiding my heart.

But now I'm going to let it

go and ask

Chorus:

Could you love me like this?

Could you take me as I am

or is this all just hit and miss?

I'm tired of being a sham.

This is who I am,

could you love this?

Verse 2

I was hiding behind

the curtains, putting on a face

but I'm not that kind

I was feeling out of place

I'm stepping off the stage

coming to you

no more charade

Do you even have a clue

who I am now?

Chorus

Bridge

I'm not the flirt you thought I was

I'm not supergirl

I've got my flaws.

One thing I know is true

I'm fallin' for you!

Verse 3

I thought you would try

to see behind this disguise;

couldn't show you that I cry

at having to say goodbye

I'm taking off this dress

going to reveal

what's beneath this

I'm going to show you the real deal

and plead stay

Chorus

Could you love me?

So there it is! Let me know what you think, and leave some constructive criticism in the comments. Eventually I would love to be able to share my life through music, if I can learn how, and this is just the rough beginnings of that, so please be soft!

Oct 24, 2008

So I have some freakin' exciting news to share! As most of you know, I work at the BYU Creamery on Ninth, and have been a cashier there for two years this January. Well, no longer! I have just been promoted to supervisor and I start my new responsibilities on Monday!

For those who don't know, I applied to become a supervisor in the Fall and didn't receive it then, but a really great guy did so as disappointing as it was, it was okay. And plus it was on a schedule that I wouldn't have preferred too much. So when my supervisor, Jacque, quit this week (even though it was really sad because I love that girl!) I decided to apply again. And this time I got it! The job entails new responsibilities and things to learn, but I'm really excited to be doing this!

I appreciate everyone that kept me in their prayers and hearts as I was preparing for the interview, it really did mean a lot to me. And if you would continue to do so as I try to learn the ropes of my new position, that would be awesome.

Oct 23, 2008

In printing, the old kind before there were computers and word processing and all the letters were hand set, printers (the people, not the objects) used the term "erratum" (Plural: errata). This term means that there was a mistake in the book, magazine, or newspaper and instead of going through the entire process of having to print a whole new sheet out (with novels and journals there were several pages to one sheet), they would just insert a page at the front or back listing the "errata," the pages they were on and what they were supposed to be. Benjamin Franklin, being a printer himself, uses this term in regards to mistakes he made in his life. At the time he didn't realize that the "typo" had been made, but looking over it again, he sees it and therefore acknowledges it.

I would like to make a remark about the errata in life. I know that in my life there have been many that at the time seemed to be the right decision, word, or action. But looking back I've realized something; that is, that those things weren't as right as I may have thought. Some of these errata may have been caught early on, making it easier to fix, but others sat on the page for some time before I realized, and therefore I had to insert a confession. And I know that I'm not the only one with an erratum or two in my life; these are an unfortunate part of life that we all have to go through and we all know how painful it is to insert a confession if we didn't catch it soon enough.

It is because of these errata in our lives that we have the Master Printer. In this life right now, we are just the apprentices, trying to work our way up to journeyman and then to create our masterpieces; but as it is, we are being taught by the Master Printer. What the Master Printer does is simple. When we come to him with the offending pages and show him the erratum, he graciously puts his name on the correction; he takes the blame for it, though he had told us many times before to look over the plates before we printed them. It is when we try to hide our errata from our Master that we run into more trouble. While it is still possible to fix the mistakes, it becomes harder and more complicated as in the next edition, or issue, the corrections are put in. It extends the pain and shame that we feel.

Since I am guilty of a few errata in my life, I need to be forgiving of the errata of others. It is easily done; a "p" instead of a "b," or a backwards word, maybe even a couple of letters messed up. Rarely does the erratum completely ruin the whole page. And that apprentice has the same forgiving Master as I do.

I love the Atonement. I know that I have had to call on it several times as I have grown and changed. There were times in my life when I felt that I couldn't go a day with out offending someone. But through the regular process of growing up, and through my religion, and conversations I had with my family, I learned something. I might have made the errata, but it was others who decided to be offended by it. True, maybe some of the errata I shouldn't have made in the first place, and with some of them the only person I hurt was myself, but the Master was there when I admitted it, and he took the blame for me--though he had told me before to be careful. What a wonderful blessing for an imperfect life. I'm glad that I have this knowledge in my life; that I can make mistakes, and still be loved and be made whole again through repentance and a loving Father in Heaven.

My errata are not permanent. And neither are anyone else's!

I love you all.

Author's Note: So I realized while I was writing this that it kind of seems like a General Conference talk. Sorry about that. Maybe it's because I was in my religion class when I thought of it. But if I ever do have to talk in General Conference, at least I'll have a great analogy. (Well, I think it's great... let me know how you feel with your comments!)

Oct 21, 2008

I decided to take this advice and "name them one by one." Not that I've been particularly depressed, but things do weigh me down every once in a while, and well "when upon life's billows!" So here are somethings that are blessings in my life:

My family! No matter what I know that they will always be there and they will always love me. When it seems like there is no one else in the world behind me, all I have to do is turn around and there they are. Love you all.

My health. Even though I might get little colds, or twenty-four hour mystery illnesses, I don't have any chronic diseases, and I'm not ending up in the hospital constantly. I don't need to watch what I do, eat, touch, or wear. I think that I got off pretty lucky in this respect.

School. Yes, one of the objects that cause stress is also a great blessing. In English we have been learning about women's rights in the Victorian age, and I am SO blessed to be living in this age where I can learn and expand my knowledge. I am free to pursue dreams and interests without anyone telling me that it's wrong. And being here at BYU has taught me more than just what I've learned in my classes.

Friends/Roommates. My roommates are some of my very best friends. What a blessing they have been for me this year! I have enjoyed my walks with Cecily who makes me laugh while comforting me. I love getting big hugs from Maria, and talking late into the night with her about nothing in particular. And Linda is a great example of righteousness. Then there are my other friends who I know are only a phone call or text away. The Lord may not have blessed me with a great many friends, but the few I have are great friends!

Other things that I am grateful for: living in a free country, music, literature, cameras (what would I do without my pictures to look through and remember with?), beautiful blue skies, the opportunity to work and be independent (for the most part), and, of course, the Church and the Scriptures! What comfort all these things bring to my life! I know that I have lived a blessed life and it is just proof that our Father knows what we each need and can handle. I've been so blessed. Seriously. ;) In times of trial, we just need to remember that along with the trial comes blessings and spiritual growth. Like I said before, God gives us the sugar for the lemons life hands us.

Oct 20, 2008

So here is something REALLY cool! For my Victorian Literature class, we are doing this amazing research project. What we get to do is go into Special Collections, look through old journals and periodicals, pick a short story out of one of them, and then research that story to death! Yes!

BUT that's not the really cool part (though it is pretty darn cool). We're posting it on the web, which means that if someone is looking up Victorian short fiction, or a specific journal, or a story, or author, they can go there and see not only a short introduction on the journal, but also a transcription of a short story, and the original in pdf form! And this is also something that I can put on a resume to show my editing skills. So what really makes this research project cool is that it's something that will continue on, and not just be thrown away at the end of the semester. Plus, you all get to go see it! Just go to this website: http://vsfp.ctlbyu.org and have a look around! So far I have only posted the bibliography for the journal I'm working on, "Hood's Comic Annual," but hey, I posted something on the internet and I think that is a GREAT accomplishment!

Oct 9, 2008

A lot of people have been asking me why I don't like Halloween. In fact, I'm not really a big fan of the whole month of October (excepting Dana and Dad's birthdays, of course) and it is because of Halloween. So what is it about Halloween that I don't like? True, dressing up can be fun, and there is very yummy candy that can only be gotten at this time of year. These are the arguments everyone has been putting to me to make me like Halloween.

I have been thinking about it; trying to put an exact reason to why I don't like Halloween. First of all, after you stop being able to trick-or-treat, it really isn't nearly as much fun. Dressing up in strange ways seems silly-- at this age I would much rather dress up in an elegant dress and be all made up and pretty. Another reason I don't like Halloween is that, even at this age, I don't like being scared. I don't like haunted houses, forests, corn mazes, and I don't like scary movies. And it seems that once you get past the trick-or-treat stage, you're supposed to be in this haunted stage. And that is all that happens in the month of October! Everyone going to hunted houses and watching scary movies. October is the one month of the year that I hope I don't get asked out, because I just know that it will be doing one of the previous and I honestly wouldn't like to do those.

So that's why I don't like Halloween. All I try to do it get past it and look forward to the following holidays that I enjoy a lot more.

Oct 6, 2008

Take the bad day and add to it by listening to a sad song. After the bad day has been seeped in sadness for half a day, listen to Bon Jovi's "Welcome to Wherever You Are." Make sure the words are mixed into your brain thoroughly. After listening to this (or any other uplifting song), go home and add to the mix big hugs from your roommates. Make sure to stir up your mood with talk, and gossip. Add to the talk, 4 cookies.

Oct 4, 2008

There are times in this adventure of life that I wish my life was just the boring, old thing it used to be. Right now, all the drama that I never had in high school seems to be catching up to me. Not only has the new semester started, and I'm back to working until 8:30 at night, but I've been meeting new people, and having a lot of new experiences. Friendships, crushes, exams, class, work, all these things together combine to become a big ball of emotional drama. I can only hope that someday I will be able to look back on this drama as a comedy and laugh at myself.

For the time being, I am feeling very stupid. Like every time I open my mouth, duct tape should be slapped across it to keep me from saying something stupid. If only it were that easy. I know its a lot to ask for, but for once could I just be the suave, sophisticated girl that I make believe I am?

But along with all the drama, and stupid things, comes some sunshine and light. I have started my editing classes (Intro to Linguistics) and I am loving it! I have always thought of myself as a word person, and now I know that I must be! I love the way words are made, and how the sounds come together. Language, and speaking. It's all so amazing and a lot of fun to learn. I wasn't looking forward to that class to begin with, but it's now my favorite class, and always seems to end too soon. Three other rays of sunshine are my amazing roommates! Maria, Cecily and Linda. Maria is like me in a more outspoken, outgoing form. We have talks together, and seem to understand where each other is coming from. Cecily is the sweetest person I know. She loves me unconditionally, despite faults I might have, and she is a strength in my life. Linda prompts me to be better.

When life hands you lemons, God gives you the sugar for lemonade. My drama is for a little time only, but the things I learn from it are going to help me for the rest of my life.

Jun 20, 2008

I'm home now, and while I'm happy to be home, it makes me sad to have left the United Kingdom. For my last post I wanted to make a list of things that are different over there than here; some of them were things that were hard to get used to, or that I just thought were fun or interesting.

*Marshmallows are a big deal over there; they are advertised big deal if they are in something.

*In houses you need to go into a different room to wash your hands after using the bathroom

*Some public toilets cost money (if you can find one!)

*Instead of exit, it's the way out

*People don't talk on their mobiles as much in public

*They are called mobiles

*Everyone smokes

*Prices aren't consistent, you have to shop around a lot

*TJ Maxx is called TK Maxx (never found out why)

*No one talks on the Tube

*There are no drinking fountains, which is really annoying

*Street musicians are called buskers and they are really good! They were my favorite part of riding the Tube. Plus they play the coolest things: harps, plastic buckets, the xylophone, and I even saw a guy pushing his piano down the street

*"At weekends"

*They aren't purses, but handbags. "You're in the mother country now!"

*Everything is under construction!

*Baby nappy changer units

*Surname instead of last name

*Coaches instead of buses

*The cars; I don't think I saw one that was boxy, but all had smooth curves

*Need to turn the outlets on "which is actually a really good idea"

*Rubbish/litter bins

*Social propriety, there is more nudity, sex, and swearing that is acceptable

*No programs at concerts and plays unless you want to pay for them

*Plasters instead of band-aids

*American food is ethnic

*Free newspapers, more than just fluff

*Free museums

*Hen part instead of bachelorette

*To let or For Hire instead of for rent (to let is used for buildings, for hire is objects)

*Ice Cream sold at interval of every play

*Spellings of words; ie, programme, colour

*Toy boy instead of boy toy

*Crisps are chips, chips are french fries

*Pants are underwear, trousers are pants

*Jumper instead of sweater

*Sweets instead of candy

*Poems and scriptures on the Tube

*Interval instead of Intermission

*Pubs instead of bars

*Lollies instead of suckers

*Tanktops are called vests

*Toilet not bathroom (though they do call it a lot of different things; lavatory, loo, toilet)

*Out door markets!

*Car park instead of parking lots, not that there were very many of them

*Boot/bonnet=trunk/hood

*Magdelan is pronounced "maudlin" at Cambridge and Oxford

*Smoothies are not smoothies, just blended juice

There are more, but I can't remember too many right now. I love you all, and I'm happy to be able to see you all soon.

This last Wednesday was our last day trip as a group. We went to Blenheim Palace first, which is still the residence of the Duke of Marlborough. It was a beautiful mansion house, with beautiful gardens. It was also the house where Winston Churchill was born, as the Dukes of Marlborough are from the Churchill family. Of course, it was by accident, but he said that it was one of the best decisions he made. We had a really great tour guide for the house, but I would have liked to have more time. We hardly got to see any of the gardens, and the house has a lot of history connected to it--it was used as a boy's school in the War.

After two hours at Blenheim, we headed to Oxford. I loved Oxford! I was able to go into two colleges, Merton which was free, and Christ Church. Christ Church was beautiful and the alma mater of Christopher Wren, and Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). The main hall was going to be used in the first Harry Potter movie as the Great Hall, but it was too small, so they made an exact replica of the hall and that's what they used. Another cool thing about the Great Hall is if you walk in and count five windows down on the left hand side, you can see a likeness of Alice in Wonderland, as well as the White Rabbit.

Out in the courtyard is Tom's Tower. The tower was built by Christopher Wren to house the bell called Tom. At 9:05 every night Tom rings 109 times. 109 because that was the number of graduates in the first graduating class of Christ Church and at 9:05 because that is what the time is according to Greenwich Meantime. And because it used to b curfew for students of Christ Church. Christ Church also has it's own cathedral which was beautiful.

After Christ Church, I climbed to the top of the University Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin. Oxford is called the "city of spires" and it is! We were able to see almost the whole city from the top of the church. That was fun. Then it was on to Blackwell's! Blackwell's is the largest bookshop in all of England--the basement holds 3 miles of shelving and thousands unpon thousands of books, and that's just the basement! I spent a little too much money there, but it was definitely worth it! I had to get books by both JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis since they both taught there.

After browsing at Blackwell's I went to the Eagle and Child pub which is where every Tuesday morning the Inklings used to meet to discuss their books and the world. The Inklings consisted of Tolkien, Lewis, Lewis's brother, and eventually Tolkien's son Christopher with several others. I probably sat in the very same place they did! How cool is that?!

I went to see Dirty Dancing Thursday night, and on Friday was our country walk with a man in my ward, Bro. Chittock. IF you remember, he was the one who came and talked to us about what it was like being a child during the Blitz. The walk was beautiful! We went to Kent and saw the hops farms, and woods and farmers fields. It was about nine miles and took us in a circuitous route. We spent most of the day doing that.

Yesterday I finally went to Westminster Abbey! It was definitely worth every pound! I loved it and stood among the graves, tombs and memorials of genius. It was amazing. Last night I saw Gone With the Wind the musical in its last night. That was interesting, but I saw the stars and stripes for the first time in 7 weeks! It was an odd feeling, seeing that, here.

Well, I only have about three more days here! Bittersweet feelings. Love you all!

Jun 10, 2008

This probably won't be a very long post, but I just wanted to tell you all about a really cool thing that I got to hear about today. We had a member of our stake, and of my ward, Brother Chittock came to talk to us about what it was life to be a child during the Blitz.

He was about three during the evacuation at the beginning of the war. It was amazing to hear from someone who was actually there, to tell about what it was like. He would talk about how he and his brother would like up at the sky during clear nights in the summer and could see the German pilots and the RAF pilots fighting in the air. He thought it looked like a game; like big fun. It was so interesting and so amazing to hear about how people would just go on with life: walking through rubble on their way to work, and just trying to make it.

I have more notes and interesting facts that I wrote down while he was talking to us, but I just wanted to mention a little bit now. On Friday he is taking us for a walk in Kent and is going to talk a little more to us about the war and other sites of interesting historical value.

Jun 9, 2008

Last weekend we went on an overnight trip to Bath. I absolutely loved Bath, it was so beautiful! I feel like I use the word beautiful to describe everything, but all other words escape me and I just can't think of any other way to describe it. The modern day city of Bath was built completely in the Georgian style, so all the buildings and houses are uniform. The first thing we did was go to the Roman Baths, which have been around for thousands of years since the Romans first came and conquered England. They were a bit expensive and as such I wouldn't go again, but if you ever go to Bath, you have to go to the baths. It's interesting, and they are the whole reason that there is a Bath. There were painted pigs all over the city (and the city surrounding it) so as we walked around we tried to keep an eye out for those. We only got 16, but it gave a whole new meaning to our trip in Bath. I also made a visit to the Jane Austen centre, which I didn't tour, but it was my Austen pilgrimage. We just wandered around and looked at the beautiful city and surrounding countryside.

The next morning we headed off to Stourhead, an very large estate. The gardens were designed by a man called Hoare who loved the Neoclassical style instead of the French style of gardening that was a bit more popular. This means that Hoare's garden is more of a wilderness instead of an ordered garden. It was so...breathtaking. The lake, and the greenness of it all, along with the birds singing and the blue sky made it that much better. We followed that path around the garden (which you have to take counterclockwise because that is how it was designed to be walked) and eventually wound up at the Temple of Apollo which was used for the first proposal scene in the new Pride and Prejudice movie. We were only able to go into the house for a few quick minutes because we needed to get on the bus to head off to our next destination, but the Duke of Marbury still lives in the house and therefore we were unable to go upstairs, but it was a beautiful mansion house.

Our next destination was Stonehenge! If ever you decide to go there, a half hour is probably all you would need, but it was a cool place to see. My mate and I came up with several theories of why Stonehenge existed, all of them ridiculous. Because we were a school tour we weren't able to use the audio tour (which seemed strange...why would students want to be educated anyway?) but really, how much could be said about a bunch of really old rocks that no one knows anything about?

Stonehenge was the end of our trip, but when we got back Jessi (my mate) and I went to see the new musical Never Forget which is based on the music by a 90s British boy band by the name of Take That. We had no idea who they were before we went, and we were surprised by how big they apparently were in England! The whole audience was singing along with every single song, and cheering loudly. At the end everyone got up and danced and sang along with the actors. We did too, but we mostly just laughed. It was crazy! But so much fun, and something really completely British.

Jun 5, 2008

Yesterday Jenny and I went to Greenwich, which is claimed as the "First City in the World" because it is the home of the Prime Meridian of the world. That is where the time zones start and stop. I stood with one foot on either side of the line, which meant that I stood in two different time zones! That was intense! We went to the Maritime Museum and looked at all the ships and stuff, then we went up to the observatory and looked at the clocks. There is supposed to be an amazing fish and chips place by the station for only 3 pounds, but it was so close to dinner time that I didn't want to ruin my dinner--especially since we were going to have calzones! I get fed WAY too good here!

Today we made the trek out to Abbey Road, for our Beatles pilgrimage. I wrote on the wall outside Abbey Road studios, and then we took pictures of ourselves walking across the Zebra. So much fun...though we went down wrong roads twice. And got whistled at by construction workers. Fun fun. You'd think they had never seen a female before.

I've been having a lot of fun here! Seeing plays (including Phantom of the Opera!) and trying to fit everything in that I can.

Jun 2, 2008

This last week was a mighty busy one for me, as are the weeks to follow! There's so much to do and I only have two weeks left! Oh no!

So I started off the week on Tuesday by spending the day at the Tower of London. Oh my gosh! Thank you LaMar! It was amazing! We went on the Yeoman tour, and our guide was really great. We had some problems with helicopters though--there was once when there were two helicopters just hovering over the Thames for about 5 minutes! He was going to talk to us outside, but took us into the Chapel instead. Of course, the minute we went into the Chapel the copters left. So the Chapel was really interesting. In Queen Victoria's time they took up the floors because they were in bad disrepair and they found over 1000 bodies! Some of them headless! Out of them they only identified 33. Among the 33 there was Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and Catherine Howard (the one that haunts Hampton Court). They were given a proper burial and now rest under the altar in the chapel. Every week fresh red roses are put on Anne's grave.

After the tour we went off by ourselves and looked at the crown jewels, which were very shiny. I really liked the first room in the jewery. It had a chair for every known monarch of England as well as their crests. After the jewels was the White Tower. The first thing we saw was the place where the bones of the two young princes who were mysteriously kidnapped and murdered were found. Freaky. As we wandered through the White Tower (which is actually a palace) I was thinking how creepy it was that people actually lived there, but then I remembered that back in the day it wasn't creepy because it didn't have the history it does now. Then we went to walk around the walls, and I might have sat in the very window that Lady Elizabeth sat in when she was held prisoner there! You never know! The only thing that we didn't get to see and I wish we could have but I needed to get back for kitchen duty was the Beauchamps Tower. This was the tower that the princes were taken from before they were murdered. But it was a nice day out.

That night we went to see Pygmalion! That was awesome. It's so cool to see things that take place in England and know the places that they are talking about! Or to recognize something in the background.

Wednesday all of us headed out to Cambridge. We went punting on the Cam the very first thing and I think I would have been happy to just sit in the punt and go up and down the river all day! It was so relaxing! We saw a lot of bridges and most of the colleges! We ended up going during one of the worst times because it was exams! We couldn't go into any of the colleges! But we did see King's College Chapel which is the largest open nave in England, meaning that there are no pillars holding the ceiling up. It was a nice day out. That night my friend Jessi and I went to a show in the West End called Into the Hoods. It was AMAZING! It's a hip hop revival of Sondheim's Into the Woods. They told they story using popular hip hop songs (but not just hip hop, other genres as well) and the dancing was so cool. It was very original and the first of it's kind to get into the West End. Next time you're in London, you should try and see it!

The next day was the start of my free weekend. Three of my mates and I decided to head down to Cornwall and stay in Penzance. We went to St. Michael's Mount which is an island that you can walk out to if the tide is low. Unfortunately, the tide wasn't low while we were there, but we were able to walk on the beach, feel the sand beneath our toes, and the water around our ankles. And the castle on the island was fabulous. After that we went to Land's End where there is nothing. I did find out that from that point Provo is 5374 miles away. Sad! It made me a little homesick! But not for too long!

We headed down to Porthcurno beach. It was gorgeous! Nothing could do it justice, it's something you have to see for yourself, but I'll try. Beautiful white sandy beach, water that was a thousand different shades of blue, surrounding by cliffs that were green and red. I swam in the Atlantic Ocean! It was freezing! We ate real Cornish pasties on the beach, then walked up the cliff to see a play at the Minack Theatre. So this theatre was built entirely on a cliff, so as you're watching a play you have the ocean for a background. It was so beautiful.

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, and on Saturday I returned to London. But I like London, it's almost becoming a sort of home to me now. I know that I will miss it when I return to the states.

Today I went to Samuel Johnson's house. He made the first comprehensive English dictionary! Cool guy, but a little obsessed with his cat...

I also walked the entire perimeter of Kensington Gardens. I saw Peter Pan, which made me happy!

May 22, 2008

Yesterday, being Wednesday, was our trip to Hampton Court. The way our professors were talking, we thought we would be there for a couple hours, but we ended up spending the whole day and were even late for dinner!

Hampton Court was built during the reign of Henry VII by Cardinal Wolesy (who fell from the King's favor when he told Henry he couldn't have a divorce). Wolesy told Henry that it was fit for a king, and therefore Henry took it over. We started our audio tour in the Great Hall, which I had always pictured as being bigger, but it wasn't that large at all. There were tapestries on the walls that Henry had bought to show off his money; they were made with real gold and silver thread. IT was hard to tell that fact, because they had become very faded over the years (as compared to the tapestries in the private rooms which were still bright and colorful). We went through all of Henry's rooms, in the Tudor part of the house, ending with the "haunted" passageway. When Henry accused his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, of adultery, the guards came to take her to the Tower of London to be executed. In that passageway it's said that she broke away from the guards and ran down it, begging her husband for mercy. She was eventually executed for treason, but her ghost is said to haunt the hallway. They have a video of it on Youtube, I believe, if you'd like to see her ghost. The ghost of Jane Seymour, who died giving birth to Henry's only son, is also said to haunt the the palace.

The house is built in several different parts. When Willliam and Mary of Orange became the King and Queen after Charles I, they liked Hampton Court so much that they wanted to add to it. So the front is Tudor and part was built by Christopher Wren (who designed St. Paul's Cathedral), and part if Georgian. In on of William's bedrooms (which had beds but weren't used so much as bedrooms as they were for meetings with the highs and mightys) there is a picture of Venus. It seems that she is looking toward the bed when you first walk in the room, but as you move across the room, she "follows" you and by the time you reach the opposite door, she is staring at the fireplace which is opposite the bed. That was pretty darn cool!

The last thing we saw inside the house was the kitchens. Did you know that geese were considered fish? I don't remember the reason, but I thought it was pretty odd. Our director's wife saw us as we were exploring the kitchens, and she told us that she thought cooking for 50 was bad, until she learned that the cooks at Hampton Court regularly cooked for 600 or more! And without the modern conveniences that she enjoys! Craziness.

After the house we went out into the gardens. The is a maze about a third of an acre in area, which is the only remaining part of the garden from William of Orange's time. The object is to get to the centre and back out again. It was a lot of fun, and we did make it to the center! We got stickers on the way out--hooray! We spent a lot of time in the rose garden as well, but then we saw that time and had to head home.

I'm still loving it in London, and I hope that everyone is having a great time back at home. Remember, if you want pictures, ask Mom.

May 19, 2008

I would just like to apologize to everyone for not blogging in a while. To make up for it, here is a really long post about my four day trip to Scotland and York!

Last week was a good week to be gone because our hot water at the Centre had stopped working on Monday. I found out the hard way on Tuesday morning when I hopped in on the shower. Jessi (a friend of mine that I met on the trip) and I decided to brave the coldness and take a shower at 3:30 Wednesday morning. I was out before her, and when she turned off the shower, she said, "Whitney? That was SO not worth it!" I wholeheartedly agreed!

We left at four in the morning, so the first hour or so on the train was me sleeping, but eventually I talked to Jessi, and Jenny (another companion on our trip) most of the way there and looked at the English countryside. When we reached Edinburgh, all fifty of us trudged from the train station to our Hostel. Our hostel was really nice; brand new, and HOT water! Yay! We dropped off our stuff in our rooms and made our beds before we went on a "small" hike that Dr. Talbot had planned for us. This included walking up to the Royal Mile, then down in until we reached the new parliament building, and on to the Crags. We walked up the hill to Arthur's Seat, from which we could see all of Edinburgh. I never knew it was so big! It was beautiful and the sun came out and shown in the blue sky for us! The only time we saw it the whole trip! After walking down the mountain, we just walked along the Royal Mile and looked in at shops. We stopped in at a Christmas Shop because Jenny collects ornaments and we found out that the shopkeeper is LDS! It was really cool to just randomly meet someone all the way over here that is a member of the church!

I went to a pub for dinner and I ate HAGGIS! We asked the bartender if he actually liked Haggis, and he said that "if it's down properly, it's gorgeous!" We were all too scared to actually order it, but he brought out some for us to try and it wasn't that bad! That was quite exciting and my first pub experience. There wasn't much to do after dinner because everything closes at five in Edinburgh, unless you want to get drunk (which we didn't), so we headed back to the hostel. Besides, we were exhausted!

The next morning we went to Edinburgh Castle to see the changing of the guards which they were doing because it was the Church of Scotland's general assembly. It was really cool! Bagpipes (speaking of which there is this CD for sale in all the souvenir shops called the Red Hot Chilli Pipers--bagpipes playing popular rock songs, very entertaining) and Scottish soldiers in kilts (speaking of kilts some of the boys in our program bought some and wore them that night)! After the changing were went to the Tartan Mill and I found the Salmon tartan! It's called the Perthshire District, and unfortunately I was unable to buy some because they said they would have to order it, but you can look at it here: www.scotweb.co.uk/edinburgh/weaving. It's the red one.

We just spent the day wandering around Edinburgh again. We went into New Town to eat lunch at Jenner's and to go to the National Gallery, and then we headed back to Old Town and went to the writer's museum were we learned a lot about Robert Louis Stevenson. Did you know that he spent some time in Monterey CA, and that is wife is American? And on his birth certificate his middle name is LEWIS, but he changed it when he went to France to LOUIS. I bought Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde while there since Stevenson is from Edinburgh. I ate sponge pudding, which isn't a pudding at all, but a cake, and then we headed back out on the town. The Scots are a lot friendlier than the English, but they still thought we were crazy! In fact, they probably thought we were drunk, we were singing songs and prancing down the streets. Funny thing about Edinburgh, it never gets dark! It was 9:30 at night and it was still REALLY light out. They said that in the northern part of the country is really does stay light all night long during this part of the year.

The next morning we had to wake up early again to catch our train to York. Our hostel in York was established in the 50s and I don't think anything has been changed about it in the past 50 years. We put our bags away and then a small group of us went with one of our professors and his family to go on a walking tour. At first, we were all wondering what there was to do in York for two days, but the walking tour was so amazing that all doubts were taken from our minds! We walked along the old Roman walls and learned how the walls were built on by several different groups of people. Very cool. And it was a good way to get to know the city. Guy Fawkes was born in York...on my birthday too! After the tour we ate at a cute little tea room on Shambles. I think I'm going to come home a little heavier than I left--there is way too much yummy food! Especially chocolate!

In York I went to see the minster (which is the fifth church to be built on that site, and it took over 400 years to be built) during evensong, and to see the Scarlet Pimpernel at the Royal Theatre. I only paid 5 pounds and it was 5 pounds worth of entertainment, unfortunately. I also had my first real English breakfast! It was really good! And for lunch the second day I had a Cornish pasty. I can't believe that I hadn't ever had one before!

As fun as this trip was we were all excited to get back "home" to the Centre. I wanted to take a shower, but we learned that there wasn't any hot water yet! Oh no! So I had to take a shower in the professor's flats. A lot more happened, and if you want, e-mail Mom and Dad and they can send you pictures and a more detailed account.

May 2, 2008

So yesterday we walked around Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Lambeth. It was so beautiful, and the day was gorgeous (which from what I hear is a lot better than I can say for Utah!). It did rain, but I have decided that God meant London to be wet, because as beautiful as London is, it is more beautiful when it's wet.

We walked along the Thames, and even though I don't think it is usually called beautiful, I think it is. We were able to walk along the Tower Bridge, and the London Bridge, and the Lambeth Bridge, and the Westminster Bridge. I was able to get several views of the London Eye, from several differen bridges. I also got a lot of beautiful pictures of Parliament and Big Ben. I even heard Big Ben chime!

Congrats Lloyd on your new granddaughter! She is beautiful! I would love to hear anymore exciting news!

May 1, 2008

Hey everyone! So, I wanted to share a little bit about where I'm staying!

The BYU London Centre is an old building in Kensington that has served many uses. Shackleton lived here, and it was a hospital during WWII and even survived the air raids when many of the surrounding houses were damaged. It's a beautiful building, about five stories high (unfortunately for our boys who have to live on the fifth floor). My room is just off the front entrance. There are rumors of a hidden treasure, and a ghost! (Sorry about the picture...I'm still trying to figure this whole blogging thing out!)

Yesterday we all went to see Wicked. It was an amazing musical. My favorite part was probably during the end of the song "Defying Gravity" and Elphaba was hoisted up. All that was lit was her face and upper body, and it was very haunting.

I'm getting the hang of the Tube system now, and even rode on my first double decker bus yesterday. I'm starting to recognize some places, but I've been around a lot of London, and everytime there is something new and exciting to see! On my next post I will put up some more pictures of the things I saw today!

Apr 29, 2008

To all my family and friends! 'Ello from London! Here is just a brief glimpse of what I have done the past two days. The first picture is of my companion April and I at the Salt Lake Airport as we waited the arrival of our plane to take us to Atlanta, Georgia. The flight from SL to Atlanta took us about 3 and 1/2 hours. I saw the new movie "The Golden Compass," though the book was easier to understand. The BYU Living Legends team was also on the flight with us and I sat next to a girl on the team. They were on their way down to Chile for tour. I loved watching the world go by and marveling at the beauty of this world. God is an awesome artist.

We arrived in Atlanta, got something to eat, and met up with some more members of our group. The second picture is of my friend Maria, and I right before we got on the plane to come here, London! We had some nasty turbulence during "dinner" which was served at 11:30 Atlanta time. It was terrible. Our inflight movie was once again "The Golden Compass," so I decided to try to fall asleep during the movies. I only got 3 hours of sleep, but it was all good. Most of the flight was me trying to sleep, or trying to concentrate on something else, which was nearly impossible because I get airsick! Just discovered that...

This last picture is of my first view of England out of the airplane window. It was pretty cloudy, and we had just dropped beneath the clouds as we were going in for the landing. Everything is green and beautiful here. The first moment I actually thought "Oh my gosh, I'm in London" was when I first saw Hyde Park. It was so green and beautiful. It is pretty crazy being here; sitting here in my dorm room, I still can't believe it, but it's true. I love and miss you all, but mostly I'm just tired!

About Me

I'm an editor just starting out on the road to the "real world"--even though I spend most of my time in a fantasy one! I love YA fiction, TV shows, pasta, and music. I hope one day to see my name on a cover of a book!